Resources

Resources

Guides, working papers, and tools for owner-operated businesses.

Featured
Topic
Format
Checklist

12 Things Business Owners Say Before a Cash Crisis

The twelve sentences that show up in the ninety days before a liquidity event — and what each one really signals.

Cash Flow & Liquidity
Read →
Working Paper

Implications for Cash Flow: War With Iran Escalates

A September 2026 update on the Persian Gulf conflict and what it means for Sonoma County cash flow. Refining margins — not wellhead crude — are driving record diesel prices, with Santa Rosa fuel running far above national averages. Walks through the effect on vineyard costs, the fertilizer availability window, and the tourism revenue at risk from fewer day visits, plus the moves owner-operated businesses should make now.

Cash Flow & LiquidityGrowth & Strategy
Read →
Guide

The 13-Week Cash Flow Playbook

How to build, refresh, and actually use a rolling 13-week direct cash forecast in an owner-operated business.

Cash Flow & LiquidityGrowth & Strategy
Read →
Protocol & Framework

Guideline and Checklist for Secure AI Installation and Implementation

AI can cut costs and sharpen decisions — but a careless rollout leaks client data, invites vendor risk, and creates obligations most owners never see coming. This guide walks through securing an AI deployment step by step: choosing tools that keep your data out of public training sets, setting access and approval rules, writing an acceptable-use policy staff will actually follow, vetting vendor contracts, and auditing what the system does after go-live. Includes a practical implementation checklist for owner-operated businesses.

Compliance & Risk
Read →
Working Paper

Lender-Ready: Preparing for an SBA or Bank Loan

What underwriters look for, the documents to assemble first, and the ratios that decide your terms.

Financing & LoansCompliance & Risk
Read →
Guide

A Guide on Setting Prices to Earn Profits

A practical framework for pricing your products and services so every sale contributes real margin — costing, break-even, and price-setting discipline for owner-operated businesses.

Pricing & Margins
Read →
Working Paper

Samurai Business Growth

Strategy lessons drawn from samurai discipline — how owner-operated businesses can build focus, positioning, and durable growth.

Growth & Strategy
Read →
Working Paper

Compliance & Risk for SMBs: Modern Best Practices

A practical guide to the compliance obligations and risk controls owner-operated businesses actually need — and how to build them without enterprise overhead.

Compliance & Risk
Read →